


Arrival at Kothal

by treblemirinlens



Series: Friends of the Alliance [4]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-08-31
Packaged: 2018-04-18 07:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4698011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treblemirinlens/pseuds/treblemirinlens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fourth story in the Friends of the Alliance AU. A mother and daughter are moving to a new town seeking another new start...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arrival at Kothal

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is set as much in the canon Star Wars universe as possible, but with influence from the Star Wars Legends universe. I will update stories as I feel it necessary when new canon material is released.

“That one looks like a castle!”

“Very nice, such a grand castle! And what about that one?”

The young girl studied the cloud, her green lekku bobbing as she swayed along with the tune she was humming to herself. “A loth-cat!”

“Oh?” Her mother’s voice had a hint of tease to it.

She pointed. “He’s sleeping. See, there’s his ears!”

The farmer driving the hovertruck they’d hitched a ride in chuckled.

The girl looked back toward the previous cloud, and then to her mother quizzically. “Are there really castles in clouds? I heard someone say so before.”

“Of course there are my dear.” She gathered her child into a hug. “On other planets there are castles, gardens... even whole cities floating in the clouds!”

“Woooow.” The girl exhaled as she looked up into the sky excitedly. “I want to see them someday! I want to see all of them!”

Her mother smiled. “And I’m sure you shall! But for now, we’re going to explore Kothal! What do you think of that Co’zet?”

Co’zet considered this for a moment. “Well, will there be other children?”

“Yes, there will be others.”

“Will they play swords with me?”

“I’m sure they will! And if not, you can always play swords with me.”

Co’zet nodded cheerfully. “Don’t worry mother, I’ll go easy on you if you do!”

The mother laughed and teased back. “Well I suppose that’s a relief then, despite teaching you myself.”

* * *

The farmer had dropped them off in front of the local hotel with a wave before continuing on to the market.

Co’zet’s attention was immediately drawn to the sound of laughter. Two human girls were playing on a large swing next to the hotel, they called her over when they noticed her. She looked up to her mother.

“Go on, have fun!” The Twi’lek woman watched her daughter run over and join the girls.

“Well hello there, haven’t seen you around here before!” She turned to see a brawny human woman, baby tucked in one arm, standing in the door of the hotel. She smiled.

“My daughter and I only just arrived in town.”

“How lovely... joining the mister?”

She tilted her head slightly, the galaxy never did run out of busybodies. “No, it’s just us.”

“Here visiting family then? Friends?” Came a man’s voice from inside the door.

The woman nodded her head toward the door. “My husband.”

 _And again._ The mother did her best to address both the woman and the voice beyond the doorway. “Looking for work, actually. I heard business was growing in Kothal.”

At that a small, bony human man appeared in the doorway with grand gestures to accent his speech. “Aah! Yes, yes, it’s true. It’s all thanks to the administrator here, good head on his shoulders. Yes, trade is good, business grows. Speaking of… I presume you’re here needing a place to stay?” He gave a sweeping bow. “Master and Missus Thenardier, at your service. Owners of The Sergeant at Geonosis, the finest (and only) hotel here in Kothal.”

 _Master? And a little short for a sergeant at either battles of Geonosis…_ She shut down such thoughts as soon as she realized they were bubbling up and nodded her head politely. “I am Fantine, my daughter there is Co’zet.”

“How charming, why don’t you come inside and we’ll get you all set up? No, no, just let the children play, they’ll be fine.”

* * *

Mr. Thenardier had excused himself with “other matters to attend to” nearly as soon as Fantine was inside, leaving her in the care of his wife. The woman bustled and cooed about despite her intimidating appearance.

“It must have been a tiring trip here from Capital City. Just sit there and take a load off.” She waved toward a bench as she disappeared behind a door, calling back from the other room “Care for a drink?”

Fantine felt that familiar warning that something was wrong and, as usual, stubbornly pushed it away. “Yes, thank you.” She rested on the bench her host had waved toward, propping her small pack next to her. When Mrs. Thenardier returned a moment later she accepted the offered cup and smiled back toward the door and the sound of the girls outside. “Is the school here good?”

“Oh our Eponine and Azelma seem to like it fine. The administrator has been quite attentive to education. And I hear we might even be receiving increased funding from the Empire soon for an Academy! In Capital City, of course, but we’re lucky the Empire’s taking such an interest in Lothal recently, not many Outer Rim worlds can claim that.”

Another shadow passed through her, Fantine gave a forced smile, suddenly reconsidering the move to this planet.

She began running through alternate planet options in her mind while continuing her attempt at this motherly small talk. After a while she dimly realized that something was very wrong. The lobby of the hotel, even Ms. Thenardier’s voice, everything was…. fading?

As the world spun to darkness around her, with one last burst of awareness she realized she’d put so much effort into ignoring old instincts that she had let her guard down too far. She attempted to leap from the bench toward the door, but her body numbly ignored her as she fell.

 


End file.
